Australian Law Graduate CV Checklist for Clerkships and Graduate Roles

A law graduate CV should make relevant evidence easy to find. This checklist covers structure, legal experience, transferable work, academic information, achievements and the accuracy checks needed before applying for an Australian clerkship or graduate role.

What a law graduate CV needs to do

Recruiters often review a large number of applications quickly. Your CV should show, with evidence, that you can communicate clearly, work reliably, learn, exercise judgement and contribute in a professional environment.

Follow the employer’s instructions

Check page limits, file format, transcript requirements, naming conventions and whether a cover letter or application form is required. If the employer asks for a two-page CV, do not send four pages because you believe every activity is important.

Use a clear structure

A common order is:

1. name and contact details;

2. education;

3. legal experience;

4. other employment;

5. volunteering and leadership;

6. selected achievements or skills; and

7. referees, if requested.

The best order depends on your strongest and most relevant evidence. Use consistent headings, dates, spacing and bullet styles.

Contact details

Include your name, professional email address, phone number and city or region. A full residential address is rarely necessary unless requested. Include a LinkedIn profile only if it is current and consistent with the application.

Education

State the qualification, institution and expected or actual completion date. Present grades accurately and in the form requested. Do not conceal failed or repeated subjects where a transcript is required.

You may include selected relevant subjects, research projects, mooting or academic awards where they support the role. Avoid listing every subject in the degree.

Legal experience

For each role, state the organisation, position and dates. Use bullet points describing work and contribution rather than copying a duty statement.

Examples:

• Prepared chronologies and first drafts of routine correspondence under solicitor supervision.

• Researched State legislation and authorities for a memorandum on a procedural issue.

• Recorded client instructions and maintained documents in accordance with file-management procedures.

Do not overstate your authority. A student or paralegal who prepared a draft did not “advise the client” merely because the draft contributed to later advice.

Other employment matters

Hospitality, retail, administration, caring and trade work can demonstrate client service, teamwork, responsibility, resilience and time management. Make the transferable evidence explicit.

“Resolved customer complaints within delegated authority and escalated safety and refund issues to the duty manager” is stronger than “Provided excellent customer service”.

Achievements and skills

Include achievements that are accurate and relevant. Give context for competitive awards or leadership roles. For languages, state the actual level of proficiency.

Avoid generic skill lists such as “communication, teamwork, leadership”. Demonstrate those qualities through experience bullets.

Technology claims should also be precise. Name software only where useful and do not describe yourself as an expert without evidence.

Address limited legal experience honestly

You do not need to manufacture a legal background. Use university projects, clinics, mooting, volunteering and non-legal work to show research, drafting, judgement and service.

A short profile is optional. If used, it should state your current position and direction rather than rely on adjectives.

Accuracy and confidentiality

Check every date, title, grade and claim. Obtain permission before naming a referee. Do not include confidential client or matter information, privileged content or identifying details from legal work.

If describing a matter, keep it general and focus on your task and skills.

Presentation checklist

Before submitting, check:

• readable font and margins;

• consistent dates and punctuation;

• no unexplained acronyms;

• bullet points beginning with strong verbs;

• no dense paragraphs;

• correct employer and role name;

• working email and phone details;

• PDF conversion without broken spacing;

• filename such as Firstname-Lastname-CV.pdf; and

• spelling in Australian English.

Final content check

Ask whether every section supports the application. Remove repetition and weak filler. Read the document from the recruiter’s perspective: can they locate your qualification, relevant experience and strongest evidence within seconds?

A strong graduate CV is not “ultimate” or universal. It is accurate, tailored and easy to assess against the requirements of a particular legal role.